This invention relates to containers for holding liquids and having means for illuminating the liquids.
Drinking containers are well known. Sources of light of various types, for example, combinations of batteries and light bulbs with conductors therebetween, are also well known. Drinking containers having such sources of light associated therewith for illuminating the liquids held in containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,663, assigned to the assignee of this invention, and whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. The patent discloses drinking containers an means for holding a light source or lighting device to illuminate the interior of the container. The holding means can be associated with any suitable portion of the container, for example, the container's closure, a container handle, or the container bottom or an extension thereof, for example a base portion integral with or connected to the bottom. The holding means can be of any suitable shape, configuration dimension or position, and the container or light source can have a flexible or moveable portion which can be moved to activate the light source. The patent discloses several embodiments wherein the container bottom wall or base portion includes the holding means which comprises a housing for holding the light source in place. Other patents which disclose a light source associated with a drinking container are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,178,450, 2,224,319 and German Patent Schrift 672,273, the first disclosing a light source in a lid, and the latter two disclosing an elongated vertically-disposed hollow neck which forms the housing which holds the light source. In each case the light source held in the elongated vertical neck is a single vertically-disposed elongated battery having a vertically-disposed light bulb directly contacting the top end of the battery. Each elongated vertical housing has a platform to stabilize the vertical neck.
It would be desirable to have containers for liquids, especially drinkable liquids including water, soda and alcoholic beverages, wherein the container bottom or bottom end portion or an extension thereof such as a separate base portion includes the light source for illuminating the interior of the container.
It therefor is an object of this invention to provide containers for liquids having a base which is adapted to contain a light source and is relatively easy and economical to manufacture.
Another object of this invention is to provide a base adapted to be secured or connected to and/or support or be used with a drinking container which has a transparent bottom portion or bottom wall portion, wherein the base does not have an elongated vertically-extending neck or portion under the container to house a light source, or a wide platform or foot to attempt to stabilize the elongated neck on a surface.
Another object of this invention is to provide an aforementioned or other desired base for a container for liquids wherein the base is short in height relative to the height of the container with which it is used.
Another object of this invention is to provide an aforementioned desired short base for a drinking container, wherein the base portion holds one or more batteries in a substantially horizontal position and one or more light bulbs in an upright position to illuminate the interior of the container.
Another object of this invention is to provide an aforementioned base for a container for liquids wherein the base is easy to assemble to a bottom end portion of the container.
Another object of this invention is to provide an aforementioned base which includes support structure to support and illuminate container placed thereon.
Another object is to provide a base wherein the base includes structure to secure the base to the container such that the base resides under the container and when the container is lifted, the base is lifted with the container.